SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region - Villagers from across Pshdar district near Sulaimani come together to break their fast, preparing traditional dishes in a bid to preserve local customs, away from the fast-paced life of the nearby bigger cities. According to the organizers of the large iftar, approximately 400 people attended the gathering. Women from the village prepared the food over a large fire. “We do this project every year, during the holy month of Ramadan where we gather the villagers. We have a few goals with this and one of them is bringing them together and peacebuilding because this is a capitalist era and humanity is all far apart we aim to get closer and pay attention to these social aspects,” Mohammed Omar, a resident of Pshdar district, told Rudaw’s Abubakir Sdiq on Friday. “Today, in Qulmarf village, we organized a launch for 5 to 6 villages for the prominent figures in Qaladze district, Raniya administration, and a small part of Sulaimani province,” Omar said about the people gathered. “First, we prepared and cooked soup, chicken, rice, and bread for this evening's gathering for the guests,” Naska Ahmed, a resident of Pshdar district, said. “We prepared today's meal over a wood fire because everything tastes better with it,” she said. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri). Those observing the holy month abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. They traditionally break their fast as the Prophet Muhammad did with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. Then family and friends gather for a large feast. Part of the evening is often spent at the mosque in prayers called "Taraweeh," while others play traditional games.
